I had to visit the local constabulary this morning, to give a statement , about a road rage incident I was involved in. As the interviewer was filling in the interview form he informed me that I was a White European. I said "No, I am White British". He told me he couldn't put that down. So I said "OK, I'm White English". "Can't put that either, you ARE a White European", he replied.

So that begs the question, as Europe is a continent and the dictionary version of the word states, "one of the larger divisions of unbroken land, esp. the mainland of Europe", when did England cease to exist, remembering we still field English teams on world sports scene. When did it become an offence to say you are British?

Onions my friend, I've been trying to get this across for yonks!
It is Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the other regions of Britain, according to the EU.
Get us out of the corrupt EU soonest.
RoofRat
BTW you could have refused to sign that statement if you thought it was filled in incorrectly :wink:

Onions my friend, I've been trying to get this across for yonks!
It is Scotland, Ireland, Wales and the other regions of Britain, according to the EU.
Get us out of the corrupt EU soonest.
RoofRat
BTW you could have refused to sign that statement if you thought it was filled in incorrectly :wink:

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RR, agree with leaving EU.

Having been at the station for two and a half hours the copper who interviewed me manage to fill out four sheets of paper. I showed him a statement that I had written on a single sheet. He later complained about the amount of paper work he had to do!!

European is an ethic description rather than a national description. I think it is therefore fair enough. As a Channel Islander, I personally am fed up of being mistaken for English, so I know the feeling to a certain extent!

European is an ethic description rather than a national description. I think it is therefore fair enough. As a Channel Islander, I personally am fed up of being mistaken for English, so I know the feeling to a certain extent!

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Why?
Channel Island isn't a nationality, English IS.
What nationality are you then seeing as channel island isn't actually a country.

I put down "white British" on my application form when I joined up, but the recruiting office told me to change it to say "white Scottish" !!! Because, according to the CPO in the office, it's "the ethnics who use the term 'British'".

I regard myself as British first and Scottish second (yes I was born a Scot) - not many folk like that up here.

I had to visit the local constabulary this morning, to give a statement , about a road rage incident I was involved in. As the interviewer was filling in the interview form he informed me that I was a White European. I said "No, I am White British". He told me he couldn't put that down. So I said "OK, I'm White English". "Can't put that either, you ARE a White European", he replied.

So that begs the question, as Europe is a continent and the dictionary version of the word states, "one of the larger divisions of unbroken land, esp. the mainland of Europe", when did England cease to exist, remembering we still field English teams on world sports scene. When did it become an offence to say you are British?

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Was the copper asking you for your nationality or your ethnicity?

"The United Kingdom is an internationally recognised sovereign state, which is also referred to as a country and whose inhabitants have British nationality. It is however traditionally divided into four home nations - England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Three of these are not sovereign states, but Ireland is now divided into the sovereign Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland, which remains part of the United Kingdom. The current status, in any case, is controversial and disputed, since there are secessionist movements in Scotland and Wales, and for example, Cornwall is considered by some to be a separate nation, within the country of England. Usage of the term nation is not only ambiguous, it is also the subject of political disputes, which may be extremely violent."

As White European is not a nationality, we must assume that the copper was asking for your ethnicity. As I assume you are white, then white european is a valid description of a white person living in any of the islands normally associated with the european continent, be they from London, Dublin or Limasol.
So, England still does exist, its not an offence to say so so you don't have to worry.
Do you get involved in "road rage"incidents often?

Erm, last I looked, England WAS a sovereign state Phil, unlike Normandy. Yes England is part of GB but only in the same way as the other nation signatores.

Although I think you're probably right vis-a-vis europe, I, and many like minded people, don't see myself as part of Europe. Maybe its the "island state" mentality. I've got nothing against Europe in itself but, like I said in my first post, I see it as a place to visit, nothing more. (Maybe i'm in denial!!)